


Can't Help Everyone

by OddlyKia



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-09
Packaged: 2018-02-16 19:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2282262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OddlyKia/pseuds/OddlyKia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was the first person to show you kindness after suffering in terror for so long.</p><p>[James T. Kirk x Reader]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

Hunger.

Terror.

The only two things you felt anymore.

A fungus had destroyed most the crops on your home planet of Tarsus IV. Thousands of people struggled to find food, while hundreds more died of starvation. Your parents were part of the population to die from hunger. They fought tooth and nail for any food, but gave it all to you. The food kept you alive, but there was never enough to fill your stomach. Now, you wondered through the streets in search of food. You were a young and scared child. Your clothes were tattered and dirty. You took shelter under any roof you could find. Some nights, you would have to sleep on the streets.

Life was hell.

And then, things got much worse. Governed Kodos made a decision to kill four thousand people, half of the population, so that the other four thousand would have a better change of surviving. He chose which four thousand to kill based on his theory of eugenics. Basically, he decided to kill the weakest of world. It didn't matter if they were men, women, or children; if they didn't fit into his theory, soldiers would kill them. You were weak and helpless as the others. That meant you would be killed. So, you ran and hid for as long as you could. There were several times were you almost got caught. But thanks to your small size and random bursts of energy, you managed to escape. By the end, bodies littered the streets. It was a horrific world that no child should ever live in.

It was quiet when you stumbled out of your current hiding spot. You fell and scratched your already injured knees. It had been at least three days since you last ate. All your energy had vanished. Several footsteps approached you, but you no longer cared to run and hide. If it were soldiers, you didn't care if they killed you. You were tired of running. But it wasn't angry shouts to stand and present yourself; it was a soft voice that spoke. 

You looked up through your long and messy bangs. A man with bright, blue eyes, and short, blonde hair stood before you. He looked gentle and kind. The man lowered himself in an attempt to be less intimidating. Behind him stood two other men. They all looked so clean compared to you. You noticed that the man in front of you wore a yellow shirt, while the other two wore blue. One of them even had pointed ears. 

Your stomach grumbled loudly as you tried to cover your face in shame. You were so hungry.

"Hey, it's okay. Here." The blonde man held a bright, red apple in his hand. "Go ahead." He motioned for you to take the fruit.

You hesitantly reached for the apple as if he would pull it away from you at any second. But he didn't. You held the red fruit in your hands and started to cry, food for the first time in three days. 

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, now. It's all over. You're safe." He took you into his arms with ease. The man held you bridal style and didn't seem to care if his shirt got dirty because of you.

You rested your head against him and silently sobbed. It had been so long since anyone had been so nice. 

"Bones, she's so light." The man holding you said. "We got here too late."

"Let's get her to the others." The man known as Bones sympathetically placed his hand on the blonde man's shoulder. "Once we get back to the ship I can giver her a check up."

The blonde man looked down at you. "My name is James T. Kirk. And everything is going to be okay." He smiled delicately.

With him holding you, you believed that everything would be okay.


	2. Two

Kirk held your small hand and walked with you through the large, shiny hallway. You felt even smaller within the halls of the ship.

"Okay, little miss." Kirk smiled. "I have to go to the bridge to talk with a few people, so Bones is going to take you to the sickbay for a check up."

You looked up to the man Kirk pointed to. The "Bones" man gave a small smile and a nod.

"Don't worry," Kirk laughed, "he's not as scary as he seems, just a little grumpy." 

Bones wasn't the one who scared you. It was the silent one with pointed ears that frightened you quite a bit; he never smiled or showed any emotions. That, and he towered over you. 

The Bones man took your hand into his. His grip was gentle and that of a father’s. You felt safe holding his hand, but you didn't want Kirk to leave. Unfortunately, he did. Him and the pointed ear man went down the left hallway, while Bones gingerly pulled you down the right hallway. The two of you entered the sickbay and went to one of the available examination stations.

"Up we go." Bones lifted you up and sat you on the table. 

The doctor checked your heart rate, the conditions of your muscles, for any infections or serious wounds, and for any internal damage. Besides being dehydrated and hungry, you were as well as you could be. He bandaged your deeply scratched up palms and knees with gauze, and then gave you a shot to insure you wouldn't get sick. Bones was such a nice man. He made sure to be extra gentle when he was giving you the check, and even held your hand when he gave you the shot. 

"There. We'll get you something to eat in a few minutes." He ruffled your hair. 

Bones had wiped away most of the dirt that you were covered in, and helped you feel somewhat clean. Just like Kirk, he was called away to help another survivor and had to leave you for a moment. It was crowded in the sickbay, and you lost sight of him quickly. Not all four thousand survivors were solely on the Enterprise. There were many other federation ships that arrived to help. But there was still a decent amount of survivors aboard the ship. 

You hopped down off the exam table and weaved your way through the crowd of people. For some reason, you wanted to be with Captain Kirk. You felt safe and comfortable with him. No one noticed when you felt the sickbay. So it made it easier for you to wonder through the many corridors. The ship was enormous. You stayed out of the middle of the hall and kept close to the wall. Quite a few people passed by you, but they hardly noticed you. It was the bridge you were in search for. At least that was where Kirk said he would be. You turned down yet another hall and suddenly smacked into someone. 

"Oh, hello there. Who are you?" 

You looked up at the person you had run into. He was a thin man with dark hair and dark colored eyes. He wore a yellow shirt just like Kirk, but his smile was even softer and kinder than Kirk's. Next to him were two other men; another in yellow who looked like a teenager, and a man in red. 

"Are you lost?" The dark haired man asked. 

You nodded. 

"She must be one of the she surwiwors ve are taking back to earth," the teenager spoke. 

The dark haired man lowered himself to your height. "What's your name, sweetheart?" 

You remained silent, still to scared to speak.

"I'm Sulu." The man said with a smile. He then pointed to the teenager. "And that is Chekov."

"Aye, doont forget about me." The man in red said. 

Sulu laughed, "That's Scotty. Now, where are you trying to go? We can help you?"

Chekov smiled. "It's too big of a ship for such a little girl to be vondering around by herself." 

You childishly brushed your bangs out of your eyes before you spoke two, and only two, words. "Kirk. Bridge." 

"Kirk? You mean Captain Kirk? Why are you looking for Captain Kirk?" 

You didn't answer. Talking wasn't something you liked to do anymore. 

"Maybe Kirk has some important business vith her. Ve'll take you to see Kirk, okay?" 

Sulu stood back up and nodded in agreement.

Hesitantly, you grabbed Chekov's hand. You kind of liked Sulu and Chekov, they were nice. The teenager smiled at you and gave your hand a gentle squeeze. Hoping for the same reaction, you reached for Sulu's hand with your other hand. He just smiled like Chekov and allowed you to hold his hand. 

The man known as Scotty laughed. "I think the wee lass likes yee two." 

"She is wery cute. I vonder vhat she needs with Kirk?" 

You really liked the way Scotty and Chekov spoke. 

With a few turns left, then right, then left again, they had brought you to the bridge. The room was as bright and shiny as the rest of the ship. There were several people talking and working at stations. You let go of Chekov's hand and latched onto Sulu's arm. Being around so many people made you nervous. 

"I think someone's a little nervous to be around so many people," Sulu chuckled.

They led you over to Kirk. He was talking with that pointed ear man and a woman dressed in red. The woman was very pretty. She had dark skin, long hair, and was as clean as the others. 

"Keptin Kirk, zhere is someone who vants to see you." 

Kirk turned to Chekov, Scotty, and Sulu, but gave them confused looks. He didn't see any other people besides them. Scotty pointed down to the ground with a smile. Kirk looked down and finally noticed you. 

"She was wondering around the ship. Apparently, she was looking for you, captain," Sulu explained, "Do you know her?"

"Yeah. Bones, Spock, and I found her when we searched for survivors. She was one of the last ones we found. Bones was supposed to be giving her a check up."

"Well, I think the wee lassy like yee, captain," Scotty laughed.

"A common reaction for children who have be abandoned for an extended amount of time. They will cling to the first person to show them compassion and safety. The Captain held the young girl and gave her food. She must feel a sense of safety and comfort when the Captain is near." The man you could only guess was Spock said. He was the man with pointed ears.

"It looks like you made a new friend, Kirk." The dark skinned woman smiled. 

"Uhura, you can make fun of me all you want-"

"No, no, I think it's kind of cute." The woman now known as Uhura looked to you. "What's your name, sweetie?"

You didn't speak, just hugged onto Sulu's arm tighter.

"I don't think she likes talking." Sulu patted your head.

Kirk lowered himself down onto one knee. "Hey, little miss, you should have stayed with Doctor McCoy." He wasn't angry. "Come on, I'll take you back."

He picked you up, said a few things to his crew, and left the bridge. You wrapped your arms around his shoulder and laid your head on his shoulder. His warmth and steady breathing lulled you into a comfortable haze. No one has held you like this since your parents. Tears began to form as you gripped tighter onto Kirk's shirt. You didn't want his warmth to go away. As quietly as you could, you started to cry. Finally, you could be the kid you were and cry. 

Kirk noticed your silent sobs and stopped walking. "It's okay. We'll find your parents soon, okay? Then everything will be just fine."

Your crying got louder at the mention of your parents. 

Kirk began to panic. He's never had to deal with a crying kid before. So before you could cause a disturbance, he brought you to his quarters and sat you on the bed. 

He sighed, "I give you a moment to yourself." He turned to leave but you shot up and grabbed his leg, hugging it for dear life. 

"No, don't go! I don't want to be alone," you cried.

Kirk stopped and picked you back up into his arms. He sighed and sat down on the bed with you. "Okay, I won't leave." 

He rubbed your back and waited for you calm down.

After a few moments to regain your composure, you spoke, "my mom and dad...are gone."

"Aw, geez...I'm sorry that I mentioned them."

For a while, he sat and listened as you told him everything that had happened to you. The hunger, the terror, and your parents. He just silently listened. His blue eyes were filled with so much sadness. By the end of your story telling, you were so tried that you fell asleep on his lap. 

•Two and a half years later•

The situation on Tarsus IV was finally resolved. Starfleet was able to find a cure for the fungus that destroyed the crops, and now the planet was slowly regaining its health. The four thousand survivors, including you, were brought back to the planet when things had gotten better. Now, children played outside, people laughed again, and smiles returned. However, they were still on the hunt for governor Kodos. But what mattered the most was that the people were once again happy and able to live peacefully. 

You, like many other children, had to live in an orphanage. It wasn't too bad. The people running it were nice, and you had warm bed at night. For a while, you had terrible nightmares about what had happened a few years ago. They were awful, frightful nightmares. But there was something you owned that made all the horrible dreams vanish without a trace, a gold shirt that once belonged to James T. Kirk. It was silly. But it was something of value to you now. He gave it to you in secret. At first you were skeptical of taking it. But he told you that whenever you got scared, or ever felt alone, to just hold onto the shirt to remind you that you weren't alone. And that's just what you did. 

One this day, you were playing with some of the other kids when one of the women who worked at the orphanage called you over. 

"There's someone here to see you, dear." She said as she brought you to the front of the house.

A wide smile appeared on your lips at the sight of Kirk standing in the lobby. 

"Captain Kirk!" You raced in his arms.

"Hey, long time no see." He picked you up with ease and gave you a loving hug. "You've grown since I've last seen you."

"Good. I want to be big and tall so I can join Starfleet." 

"You still want to join Starfleet?" he laughed.

"Of course. I want to travel through the stars with you." 

"You now that you're only going to inflate his ego, right?" Bones sighed.

It was only then you noticed the rest of the gang. 

You giggled and wrapped your arms around Kirk's neck. "Hi, Bones. Don't worry, I missed you, too."

"Oh god, you're already starting to act more like Jim." He pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn't fail to smile back at you.

Kirk regained your attention and said, "Well, you have to work really hard to get into Starfleet." 

"I'll work really hard, promise!"

"She is just too cute! Can't ve take her vith us, Keptin?" Chekov patted your head.

"Hi, Chekov!"

"That would be against Starfleet regulations, mister Chekov," Spock said.

Sulu shook his head. "Oh, he was just kidding, Spock."

"Hi, Sulu." You kind of had a small crush on Sulu. 

"Hey there, little lady," he said back. 

"Hi, Uhura, Scotty," you greeted, making sure to include everyone. "Hi...mister Spock." The Vulcan still kind of scared you. 

"Hi, wee lass."

"Hello."

"Greetings."

Yeah, you definitely wanted to join Starfleet; if not to travel through the stars, to be with Captain Kirk.


	3. Three

You did it. 

After years of hard work with fierce determination, you finally joined Starfleet and were proudly assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise. A lot of people from your home planet joined Starfleet to repay the debut they felt they owed to the federation. But for you, you did it to be with James T. Kirk. But it had been so long since you've seen him, you wondered if he remembered you. Or if any of the crew remembered you. But even if they didn't, you were still happy to finally being working on the Enterprise. The spaceship you had once roamed around aimlessly in, searching for the man you will forever call your hero. You began working on the ship only two months ago. It took a lot of energy to fulfill your duties, but you loved it. You loved every minute of being on the ship. 

As you were on your way to report to one of your commanding officers, you ran into someone all too familiar. It was Doctor McCoy. He was bit older now, but it was definitely he. You thought about going up and talking to him, but you sadly believed that he wouldn't remember you. Taking a deep breath, you kicked those fears aside and walked up to the grumpy doctor.

"Doctor McCoy."

"Yes?" He turned to you.

You gulped and then took another deep breath. "I do not know if you remember me, but you once took care of me when my home planet of Tarsus IV was in trouble. You even visited me a few times when I was younger." You shrugged your shoulders. "I know it's been so long, you probably don't remember me, but I just wanted to say hi." 

McCoy was silent for a long moment. "Tarsus IV." He murmured. "Yes! I remember now! You were that little girl who took a big liking to Jim."

"Yes!" 

"You really did join Starfleet. Wow, you've grown," he said. "Does Jim know you're aboard the ship?"

"Ah, no, I've been too busy to try to find him. Plus, I'm worried that he wouldn't remember me." 

"C'mon." He motioned for you to follow him. "Let's see if he does. That kid remembers everything; I believe he'll remember you. You impacted his life more than you'll ever know."

McCoy brought you to the bridge. It was just as bright and shiny as you remembered. Kirk sat in his captain’s chair and was talking with Sulu and Chekov. You and McCoy stood by the chair and waited for his attention. 

"Hey, Bones, what's wrong?" 

That smile of his was still the same. 

The doctor placed his hand on your shoulder. "There someone here I hope you'll remember. She's from Tarsus IV."

Kirk thought for a moment just like McCoy. You were scared that he had forgotten all about you, but not a second later, he said your name. When you nodded, he hopped up from his chair.

"It's really you." He pulled you into loving hug. A hug you had been waiting for for years. "It's been so long. I knew you'd get into Starfleet." He broke the hug so he could get a good look at you. "You've grown so much; from a cute kid to a beautiful woman. I happy to finally see you again."

"I'm happy to see you, too." 

Chekov and Sulu demanded hugs as well. 

"I can't believe it, after so long. You've officially become part of this crazy family." Sulu was as cute as before. 

"Da! Ve all missed you." Chekov accent was something you still enjoyed. 

"Scotty, Spock, Uhura! There someone here you need to see." Kirk called them over. 

Your dream came true. You were traveling through the stars with Captain James T. Kirk.


End file.
